


A Recipe that Endures

by RTianRui



Category: Delivery Boy - Fandom
Genre: "Delivery Boy" short film, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:55:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26820241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RTianRui/pseuds/RTianRui
Summary: After their first kiss, Chun Ho and Eric's pork and leek adventure continues.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 2





	A Recipe that Endures

**Author's Note:**

> This little fanfic is meant as a follow-up and a humble homage to Hugo Kenzo's LGBTQ short film "Delivery Boy". 
> 
> If you haven't already, go see: **https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL6MbI2dHzw**

Chun Ho felt nervous as he waited for Eric at the agreed-upon meeting point by the Hong Kong waterfront. This was going to be their first real date, a moment Chun Ho had been hoping for since probably a dozen of his Food Panda deliveries to Eric's flat. Truth be told, he would have preferred to bring pork and leek dumplings from Taste House by Eric's flat again; a shared meal like last time, with the record player playing Donna Summer in the background, only this time they wouldn't be sharing a hope - they'd be sharing a certainty. Jasper had even suggested that she could be the one to show up with the delivery; after she saw how Eric gave up his suede jacket without a moment's hesitation, for nothing more than the chance to apologize to Chun Ho, she started to warm to him. But both Chun Ho and Eric agreed, the night they first kissed: "No takeout this time". It had to be a restaurant.

Once Eric wrote his phone number on Chun Ho's forearm and they started texting, Eric had suggested dinner at Tin Lung Heen, a fancy restaurant on the 102nd floor of the Ritz-Carlton. Chun Ho felt intimidated, maybe even a bit disappointed. Was Eric just trying to show off? Was the scumbag side of him coming back? Chun Ho declined and made a counter offer, to try a British pub he'd heard of in Tsim Sha Tsui; despite his curiosity about expats, he never went there because his friends always begged off, saying "people like us" wouldn't be hanging out there. Eric nixed the pub idea just as quickly. "Too noisy. Besides, it's food like that that made me leave Wales."

"Ok..." was all Chun Ho could think of to answer.

After a few minutes of silence, Chun Ho started to feel creeping disappointment again. Was it always going to be like this? Were they always going to be reminded how they were too different to make a good recipe together? And then his phone rang. 

"Chun Ho? It's Eric."

"I know. I put you in my contacts right away," Chun Ho teased, a relieved smile spreading across his face.

"Hah. Right," he said with a self-deprecating chuckle. "Look... how about just meet me at 6PM in Sun Yat Sen Park. I want to pick a place with you. And if we can't find anything... well, you've heard my tummy rumbling before, I'm not ashamed now."

"That sounds... perfect..." Chun Ho said as his smile spread ear to ear smile. Eric was busy with work and hung up quickly, while Chun Ho floated through the rest of the day's deliveries looking forward to their next meeting. He asked his Food Panda manager for time off, but he almost refused (dinner hour was busiest, after all); Jasper stepped in and told the manager he'd better give Chun Ho time off, or he'd be looking for two new hires. Ever since she got that suede jacket off of Eric, she'd been nothing but confidence and swagger.

Now it was 6PM and Chun Ho was in the park, looking out across the water, waiting for Eric. He'd seen this view a million times, so much so that it seemed odd to him that tourists would fly half way around the world to see it. Now all he could think about was that, in maybe a few minutes, he'd be sharing the view with Eric, and that excited him. His thoughts drifted forward and backward in time, and he lost himself in a dream, until he felt the tapping of fingers on his right shoulder. He turned around to see Eric smiling hopefully at him.

"Oh... hoi. What are you doing here?" Chun Ho asked in mock surprise, replaying Eric's line at the party from a few nights ago.

"Sorry... I... forgot my jacket," Eric responded, deftly joining in the script, with roles reversed. Both men shared a laugh together, flattered that the other remembered the moment so well, but relieved that at least this time, the belligerent Mr. Taylor wasn't there to interrupt.

"You know, you're never going to get that jacket back from Jasper," Chun Ho said with a sheepish smile. Now they were back to reality.

"I don't care, it was worth it," Eric answered without hesitation. Chun Ho beamed. It was good to be worth something. "Besides, she looks better in it than I do," Eric added.

"You look good in whatever you wear," Chun Ho responded, surprised at his own confidence. Their eyes locked, just as they had the night Eric had kissed him outside his flat. This time, Chun Ho wanted to be the one to start the kiss. It was his turn. He cautiously took a step forward, closing the distance, plotting an intercept course for their lips. He was glad that Eric was only slightly taller than him, it made kissing so easy.

"Hey, Eric," a woman's voice interrupted. Both men blinked themselves out of their reverie.

"Oh hoi... Jessica... fancy meeting you here," Eric said awkwardly, turning to the woman. Chun Ho recognized her as the frizzy haired redhead from the roof deck party a few nights ago.

"You left work early today, Mr. Taylor was on the warpath looking for you," Jessica explained. "Is everything OK? You never leave work early. I was worried you'd quit your job and moved back to Wales."

A wounded look darkened Chun Ho's sunny expression, and Eric knew he couldn't let the same mistake happen twice.

"Oh, I won't be doing that. I've found good a reason to stay," he answered calmly, casting a glance to Chun Ho, if only to see the familiar wide smile melting back onto his friend's face.

Jessica followed the glance to Chun Ho, and started to ask, "Oh, aren't you that guy from Food P-"

Eric cut her off before she could finish. "This is Chun Ho, he's my _friend_ ," leaning emphatically into the word 'friend'.

"Oh," Jessica responded, slightly surprised. "Mr. Taylor was going on and on about some Food Panda business opportunity..."

"Booze Panda..." Chun Ho completed the sentence, joining in on the conversation, the corner of his smile curling up slightly disdainfully.

"Yeah! I think that was it." Jessica answered, a lightbulb going off.

"Well, Mr. Taylor has a lot of crazy ideas..." Eric answered cautiously.

"You can say that again," Jessica responded, as if relieved to get their boss's craziness out in the open. "I've only been here three months and even I know that would be against Hong Kong liquor licensing laws," Jessica answered, rolling her eyes. The three shared a laugh at Mr. Taylor's expense.

Jessica turned back to Chun Ho. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? Chun Ho, it's quite nice to meet you," she said, offering her hand. Chun Ho involuntarily glanced to Eric, as if to ask, "Should I?" All he could see was Eric smiling back at him. As Chun Ho took Jessica's hand to shake it, Eric's phone number was still clearly visible written on his forearm; from the expression on Jessica's face, Chun Ho could tell she saw it and recognized it as Eric's number. She was just starting to raise a curious eyebrow, when they were interrupted by Eric's cellphone ringing.

"Bloody hell, it's Mr. Taylor," Eric grumbled after he looked at the screen. Jessica swiftly cut him off.

"Don't answer it, Eric! He'll call me next, and I'll keep him off your back for the night. I hope the two of you are going out to dinner?"

Chun Ho and Eric both smiled sheepishly, as if they'd been caught red-handed, but nodded yes. Chun Ho felt warm to know that one of Eric's co-workers maybe even _hoped_ they were on a dinner date.

"Well, there's a new Spanish restaurant just around the corner, you should try it if you don't have other plans. Get the pork and leek empanadas!"

Chun Ho and Eric's eyes met in a knowing smile. Pork and leek. Neither had tried a Spanish restaurant before, so they'd be sharing a new take on their favorite recipe for the first time, together.

Before either could respond, as if on cue, Jessica's phone rang next. She looked at the screen, sighed deeply, and rolled her eyes, leaving no doubt it was Mr. Taylor. Before picking up the phone, Jessica leaned in and said to Eric, loud enough for Chun Ho to hear, "If Chun Ho's the kind of friend you write your phone number on, I hope you're buying him a really nice dessert tonight." Eric sputtered in surprise at the advice, but before he could explain, Jessica interrupted herself by answering the phone. As she walked away, Chun Ho and Eric could hear her fighting the good fight with Mr. Taylor.

"Hallo, Mr. Taylor. No I'm not... yes, the thing is... no, sir, that won't fly... because it's against the liquor licensing laws in Hong Kong... No, there isn't a way around it..."

Chun Ho fell in beside Eric, close enough to smell his cologne, and wrapped his arm around his back. After a short moment, Eric threaded his arm around the small of Chun Ho's back, and gently pulled him even closer. They watched Jessica walking away until they could no longer hear her one-sided conversation.

"Do you think Jessica will end up quitting her job and joining our band one day?" Chun Ho asked with a laugh.

"Maybe. But we're still going to call ourselves 'The Delivery Boys'."


End file.
